The 2018 International Meeting of Orthodox Youth drew to an end Sunday, when during a special ceremony in front of the Metropolitan Cathedral in Sibiu the ITO 2018 Torch was passed to the Craiova Archdiocese, which will organise next year’s ITO 2019.
The closing ceremony took place after the Divine Liturgy presided over by Metropolitan Laurentiu of Transylvania having as concelebrants Metropolitan Irineu of Oltenia, Metropolitan Naum of Ruse (Bulgarian Church), and Bishop Qais of Erzurum (Antioch Patriarchate).
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the Metropolitan of Transylvania thanked all those involved in organizing the ITO 2018 event and to all participants.
Attending the event was presidential counsellor Sergiu Nistor who addressed the young people saying that ‘faith, unity, and freedom have defined our destiny as Romanians’.
Last year, this meeting’s topic was freedom. This year, the topic of unity follows naturally. Together with faith, unity and freedom have defined our destiny as Romanians.
Social freedom, unity and faith in a better Romania, a garden of the Mother of God, were the ideals for which people from Transylvania, Bukovina, Bessarabia, Wallachia, Dobrudja, and Moldavia struggled and sacrificed themselves for.
You are today the heirs of their ideals, the followers of a whole and powerful Romania, the protector of all its sons, daughters, and their citizens, said Sergiu Nistor.
Photo: ITO 2018
